Ski boot

ABSTRACT

A ski boot comprising a rigid external body made of plastics material, in which said body is of almost uniform thickness. It comprises at the sole an internal longitudinal cavity provided externally with two longitudinal stiffening ribs, within said cavity there being disposed a wedge formed separately of a cellular plastics material.

United States Patent 1 Caherlotto Sept. 18, 1973 SK] BOOT [75] Inventor: Giovanni Caberlotto, Montebellimu.

Italy [73] Assignee: Calzaturificio Caber S.p.A.,

Montebelluna (Prov. Treviso) Italy 22 Filed: Nov. l6, 1 9 72 [211 Appl. No.: 306,133

[52] US. Cl. 36/2.5 AL [51] Int. Cl. A43b [58] Field of Search 36/2.5 R, 2.5 AL,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,615,032 1/1937 Palmquist 36/2.5 AL

Bullardv... 36/25 AL Franet 36/25 AL Primary Examiner-Patrick D. Lawson Attorney-Guido Modiano et al.

[57] ABSTRACT A ski boot comprising a rigid external body made of plastics material, in which said body is of almost uniform thickness. It comprises at the sole an internal longitudinal cavity provided externally with two longitudinal stiffening ribs, within said cavity there being disposed a wedge formed separately of a cellular plastics material.

4 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures 1 SKI noor BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a ski boot with a rigid external body made of plastics material.

Ski boots are available which have an external rigid body made of plastics material by an injection process. The need for the vamp to adapt itself to the foot of the skier and at the same time provide a flat sole for resting on the ski has led to the construction of these boots in which the vamp extends at the lower part in the form of a thick longitudinal appendix which is flat at the bottom and constitutes the sole.

Generally this appendix consists of a block of plastics material (the same evidently as that which forms the body) into which is inserted a sheath of wood or plastics which gives the sole the necessary rigidity.

However this form of construction gives rise to certain difficulties such as the considerable weight of the boot, its high cost and the impossibility of shaping the internal surface of the sole in accordance with the configuration of the skier's foot, unless different moulds are used for each configuration.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the invention is to substantially eliminate these disadvantages and to provide in a simple and economical form a boot which is considerably lighter than those at present produced and in which the inside sole is adaptable to the anatomical configuration of the skiers foot.

This and further objects are attained, according to the invention, by a ski boot comprising a rigid external body made of plastics material, in which said body is of almost uniform thickness and comprises at the sole an internal longitudinal cavity provided externally with two longitudinal stiffening ribs, within said cavity there being disposed a wedge formed separately of a cellular plastics material.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The present invention is described hereinafter with reference to a preferred embodiment by way of nonlimiting example with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective partially transparent view of a boot according to the invention, and

FIG. 2 is a cross-section through it.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT.

As can be seen from the figures, in the boot according to the invention the rigid external body 1, which is made by a traditional injection process is configured in such a manner as to present an almost uniform thickness. This gives rise at the sole 2 to an internal longitudinal cavity 3, in which is disposed a removable wedge 4, made of a cellular expanded material, for example expanded polystyrene.

Externally, the rigid body 1 comprises at its sole two longitudinal stiffening ribs 5.

In comparison with known ski boots, the boot according to the present invention gives the following advantages:

- lower cost of production because of the replacement by expanded polystyrene of the costly plastics material of the external body, or of wood, a material which is laborious to work;

- lower weight of the boot;

- removability of the wedge and the possibility of modelling it in accordance with the anatomical configuration of the skiers foot.

The present invention has been illustrated and described in terms of a preferred embodiment but modifications may be made to it in practice without leaving the scope of the inventive idea.

I claim:

1. A ski boot comprising a rigid external body made of plastics material, in which said body is of almost uniform thickness and comprises at the sole an internal longitudinal cavity provided externally with two longitudinal stiffening ribs, within said cavity there being disposed a wedge formed separately of a cellular plastics material.

2. A boot as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cavity extends over the entire length of the sole.

3. A boot as claimed in claim I, wherein the wedge is configured in accordance with the morphological characteristics of the foot of the skier. 1

4. A boot as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wedge is of expanded polystyrene.

UNITED SIA'IES PA'IENT OFFICE CER'EKFECATE .1E CQRRECTE0N Patent No. 3 ,'965 Dated Segtember 18, 1973 Inventofle) iovanni 'CABERLOT'IO It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

In th title page after the line identifying the application 'number insert the following:

/30/ Foreign Application riority Data December 31 1971 Italy. 84180 A/71 Signed and sealed thigi 9th day. ofJkpril 1.971;.

(SEAL) Atterstf gin- A1111 M.FL,M;)0HER,JR. c. f'lARSimLL UA'NN Attes ting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

1. A ski boot comprising a rigid external body made of plastics material, in which said body is of almost uniform thickness and comprises at the sole an internal longitudinal cavity provided externally with two longitudinal stiffening ribs, within said cavity there being disposed a wedge formed separately of a cellular plastics material.
 2. A boot as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cavity extends over the entire length of the sole.
 3. A boot as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wedge is configured in accordance with the morphological characteristics of the foot of the skier.
 4. A boot as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wedge is of expanded polystyrene. 